Analyst predicts The Elder Scrolls Online will launch with a subscription fee

Are you hoping that The Elder Scrolls Online will be part of the classic subscription model rather than go the free-to-play route? According to analyst Nicholas Lovell, founder of Gamesbrief, the odds are good that you’ll get your wish. Lovell notes that since the game began development in 2007, when subscription games were at their apex, Bethesda is likely to launch using the more familiar business model. Whether or not it will remain as a subscription game is another matter.

Of course, the price of play is far from the minds of most fans — the real question is what the game will look like when it’s actually playable. Director Matt Firor recently sat down to discuss the game’s earliest stages of development, the relationship between ZeniMax Online Studios and Bethesda, and working within the lore of the established IP. It’s an interesting look behind the scenes of development, and if you’re interested in the game, watching the video is certain to be six minutes well spent.